naumann



May 15, 1928. 1,669,996

W. NAUMANN CASH REGISTER Filed `1611.15, 192s s 'sheets-sheet 1 W. NAUMANN CASH REGI STER Filed Jan. 15, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .zvezzfaff v May 15. 1928.

W. NAUMANN CASH REGISTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 15, 1923 Patented May l5, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLI NAUMANN, or BIELEFELD, GERMANY.

CASE REGISTER Application lc'd January 15, 1923, Serial No. 612,863, and in Germany May 27, 1922.

My invention relates to improvements in cash registers and similar apparatus comprising keys for entering the values into the machine before operating the crankv lflor transmitting the set values to the registering mechanism. One of the objects of the improvements is to provide a machine of this type in which a key str'uck in one column is released by striking another key of the same column before operating the machine and in which two or more keys can not simultaneously be depressed. lVith this and other ob jects in view my invention consists in the matters to be described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

For the purpose of explaining the invention an example embodying the same has been shown in the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters have nism, with one set of locking members removed for show-ing the set of locking members located behind the same.

Fig. 4, is an end elevation of the machine 'sl'iowing the crank mechanism.

In the example shown in the figures the machine consists of a casing having its side walls connected by longitudinal bars 1 having arc-sh`aped key guiding members 2 secured thereto. 'Between adjacent guiding members stems -3 carrying keys are guided, which stems are provided with laterally 'proj'ecting pins 4. To the members 2 segmental plates 5 are secured which are formed each with a segmental aperture 5b for the passage of the pins 4 therethrough. On the said plates key locking members for preventing simultaneous operation of a `plurality of keys are mounted, andas shown such locking members are in the form of levers 7 rockingly mounted on bolts' secured to the plates and having root` shaped ends 7a1 and enlarged portions '7b at parts intermediate their ends, which enlarged portions are such,

that adjacent levers arevi'n contact with each ie lever which has received the i che. 3) is integral with an arm 9 connected by a link 10 with a hell crank lever 11 adapted to lock the operating mechanism of the cash registor. The lowermost one of the levers Tis supported on a pin 5a fixed to the plate 5, and the mechanism connected with the lever 8 is constructed so that only one key 3 can be depressed at a time with its pin 4 into position between adjacent levers 7.

On pivot bolts 12 locking members otr levers 18V one for each ot the keys are 'mounted laterally of the plates 7. The outer ends of the said levers are formed with beveled faces 13a located in position for being acted upon bythe pin 4 before the said pin `engages ythe roof-shaped ends Ta of the levers 7, and below the said beveled faces the members are formed with cut-out portions 18d adapted for locking engagement with the pins 4. At the side opposite to the cut-out portions 13d the members 1.3 carry fingers 13b located in position for engagement each with the adjacent member 13. The levers are formed with arms 13C projecting from the bolts 12 inwardly and constructed with rounded enlarged portions, adjacent enlarged portions being in Contact with each other. The lowermost one of the locking levers, which has been indicated by the refence characters 14, is provided with an enlarged rear extension 14C carrying two pins 14a and 14b adapted for cooperation with the arms 15a and 15b 'of a bell crank lever 15 secured to a rockshatt 16 connected with the operating mechanism of the cash register. The lever 14 is acted upon by a spring 17 tending to push all the levers 13 and 14 upwardly and into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. i

Fig. 4 shows by way of example operating mechanism for the member 15. As shown the said member is connected by an arm A2O with a link Q1 carrying La pin 22 engaging in a cam groove 23 ot a disk 24. rlhe said disk is connected with the machine crank 25 by gear wheels 26, 2T, 28, 9.9, and 30. A spring 31 tends to pull the link 21 upwardly.

The operation of the mechanism is as ollows: By depressing for example the key IV the pin 4 of its stem slides over the beveled face 13a of the corresponding locking lever 13 and rocks the same downwardly. Such rocking lmovement isA transmitted by the fingers 13b and the extensions 13,? to the other rocking levers 13 and i4. 'When the pin '4 is position. tor eng nt with the cut-out portion 13d the whole set of locking levers is forced upwardly by the spring 17, so that the depressed key is locked by its locking lever the cut-out portion 13d of which engages the pin 4, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. In the meantime the pin 4 has engaged the beveled face 7 a of the rockerk 7 located above the same, and it has rocked the said rocker upwardly. Such rocking movement is transmited to all the rockers 7 located above the rocker acted upon by the pin 4 and also to the rocker 8,. which therefore throws the hell crank lever 11 out of locking engagement with the operating mechanism of the machine, The rockers 7 located below the depressed key are not acted upon, because they are held in position by the pin 5a secured to the plate 5 and supporting the lowermost one ot the rockers 7. It now the machine crank is operated, the cam -disk 24 is rotated in the direction ot the arrow m shown in Fig. 4. Thereby the cam 23 permits upward movement ot the link 21 by the spring 31, whereby the shaft 16 is rocked a little counterclockwise and with the arm 15a into position above the pin 14a. Thereby all the rockers 13 and 14 are locked with the pin 4 of thedepressed key in locked position, because an outward movement of the depressed stem 3 can take place only by rocking the corresponding lever 13 downwardly. Therefore the depressed key can not be released after the operation ot the machine has been started.y Slightly before the end ot the operation of the machine the cam groove 23 retracts the V link 21 into initial position shown inv Fig.

4, and the shaft 16 and the bell crank lever 15 are rocked clockwise. Thereby at .first the levers 13 are released by the arm 15a and thereafter they are rocked with their outer ends downwardly by the arm 15b striking against the arm 14h. Thereby the pin 4 of the depressed key is released, so that the key is thrown outwardly by its spring.

It a wrong key has Vbeen depressed, and if before operating the machine the correct key is depressed, the pin 4 of the latter rocks all the levers 13 downwardly, so that the key which has been erroneously depressed is released and thrown into normal position, the rocking movement caused by the depression ot the correct key being transmitted by the lingers 13c and the enlarged portions 13b to the whole set of rockers 13. When depressing the correct key its pin 4 engages at first the beveled end face 13a of its locking lever 13 and thereafter the roofshaped ends 7a of the levers 7. Therefore the `said locking lever is first rocked in counter-clockwise direction and rocks the whole set of locking levers including the one cooperating with the erroneously depressed key, which is therefore released and returned into non-depressed position, before the pin 4 of the correct key engages the roofshaped ends 7 a and passes between the levers 7.

It two or more keys are simultaneously struck the corresponding pins 4 slide on the beveled end faces 13a, but they are arrested before arriving into positions for being locked by the levers 13 by their pins 4 engaging the beveled endv faces 7ct of two levers 7 and tending to rock the same upwardly. Since the said levers 7 permit the passage ot one pin 4 only the pairs of levers engaged by two pins 4 are not spread apart sumciently to permit inward movement. o- Lthe keys. Y Y

While in describing the invention reference has been made to a particular example embodying the same I wish it to be understood that my invention is not limited to the construction shown in the drawings, and that various changes may be made in the general arrangement of the apparatus and the construction of its parts without departing trom the invention.

I claim: p

1. In akeyboard mechanism, the combination, with a column ot' setting keys, of locking members one for each of said keys adapted to lock said keys in depressed positions, said locking members cooperating with each other so that when depressing any one of said keys all the members are temporarily moved into non-locking positions, operating means, and abell crank lever operatively connected with said operating means andhaving two arms adapted for engagement, respectively at the beginning and near the end of the operation of said opera-ting means, with said locking members for iatching the same and throwing the same out of locking positions.

2. In a keyboard mechanism, the combination, with a column of setting keys, of locking members one :tor each ot said keys adapted to lock said keys in depressed positions, said locking members being in the tormof levers rockingly supported on parallel bolts and each formed at one sidewith a linger bearing on the adjacent lever and at the sides ot said bolts opposite to said fingers with rounded. heads making contact with each other, operating means, and means operative respectively at the beginning and at the end ot the operation of said operating means to latch said locking members and to vthrow the same out of locking positions.

3. In a keyboard mechanism, thek combination, with a, column of setting keys, operating means and locking means therefor, of a series of interengaging llevers one for each key mounted on parallel pivot bolts and adapted to be rocked upon depression of any key to one side, means for limiting the rocking movement of said levers by said keys'so askto permit only one key to pass between the same, the last one of the series of levers (looking in the direction of the movement thereof) being in engagement with said locking means for throwing the same out of looking position.

4. ln a keyboard mechanism, the combination, with a column of depressible keys, of a series of key locking levers one for each of said keys having beveled shoulders in position for engagement with said keys and on parallel pivot bolts in positions for being rocked by the keys engaging the beveled shoulders thereof, and cooperating with each other so that when depressing one of said keys all the levers are temporarily moved into non-lookingpositions. operating means, means connected with said operating means and adapted for engagen'ient, at the beginning and near the end of the operation of said operating means, with said key looking levers respectively 'for latehing` the same and throwing the same out of looking positions, a series of interengagine` members one for each of said keys havingbeveled shoulders in position for engagement with said keys and roekingly mounted on parallel pivot bolts in positions for being rocked by said keys engaging the beveled shoulders thereof, means for limiting the rocking movement of said members so as to permit only one key at a time to pass between the same, and looking means for said operating means controlled by said members, said beveled shoulders of said 'looking levers and members being positioned relatively to said keys so that the locking levers are engaged by the keys being depressed prior to said members.

5. In a keyboard mechanism, the combination, with a column of keys, of two series of rocking levers mounted on parallel pivot bolts and formed with beveled shoulders located in the paths of the keys, one of said series comprising levers one for each of said keys adapted for making Contact with each other at their sides, means for limiting the rocking movement of said keys adapted for making Contact with each other so as to permit only one of said keys to pass bet-Ween the same, and the other one ot said series Comprising locking levers adapted for simultaneous rocking movement by each of said keys engaging the beveled shoulders thereorn and each formed with a nose making Contact with the adjacent locking lever and at the sides of their fulerums opposite to the keys with enlarged rounded extensions in Contact with one another, the relative positions of the beveled shoulders of the rocking levers ot both series cooperating with the same key being such that the locking levers are rocked by the keys prior to said levers adapted for making Contact with each other, and means common to all of said locking levers to throw the same out of locking positions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature.

WILLI NAUMANN. 

